1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cable for radiating heat. More particularly, it relates to a cable connected to a portable computer that can transmit image signals displayed to users and conduct heat generated inside the portable computer to its exterior for heat radiation.
The present invention also generally relates to a heat sink using the heat-radiating cable, and more particularly, to a heat sink that radiates heat by conducting heat to the cable from a central processing unit (CPU) in a portable computer, which is a heat generator from which heat cannot be radiated easily and to which a radiator cannot be attached easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional systems such as that of xe2x80x9cNikkei Electronics 11 Jan. pp. 83 to 95 (Document 1; Nikkei BP Co., Ltd., published on Jan. 11, 1999, No. 734)xe2x80x9d disclose a small computer that is conveniently portable (e.g., a xe2x80x9cwearable computerxe2x80x9d).
The body of a conventional wearable computer has a small external shape (e.g., 190xc3x9763 xc3x97117 mm) and is fixed to a user""s belt for operation, for achieving a high level of mathematical performance.
In addition, the wearable computer typically has a display device mounted on a user""s head and connected to the body of the wearable computer via a cable and an input device that can be operated with one hand.
As described above, the wearable computer is configured to have a very small body, and it is therefore difficult to attach an external radiator to the wearable computer due to its installation position on the user""s body (e.g., clothes).
On the other hand, since high mathematical performance is required of the wearable computer, reducing the amount of heat radiated (e.g., by maintaining a lower clock frequency) is constrained. Thus, it is difficult to achieve a balance in a heat radiation design of a wearable computer.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 09-288913 discloses an example of a heat-radiating device which includes a flat power cable including recesses and projections on its sides to radiate heat away from the cable. This flat cable radiates heat from itself, but cannot be used for an application where heat is allowed to escape to the exterior from a device to which the flat cable is connected.
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional wearable computers, the present invention has been devised, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure (cable) for conducting heat generated inside a device connected to the cable, to the exterior for cooling purposes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink for using a cable connected to a device to conduct heat generated inside this device to the exterior for heat radiation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cable and heat sink in which a heat conducting member is provided for a cable connecting the body of a portable computer (e.g., a wearable computer) to a display device and in which the cable with the heat conducting member radiates heat from the interior of the portable computer body.
In order to achieve these objects, in a first aspect of the present invention, a cable for radiating heat includes a heat conducting and radiating member for conducting heat in the longitudinal direction of the cable and radiating the conducted heat.
Preferably, the cable includes conductors extending in a longitudinal direction of a cable, and the heat conducting and radiating member extends in a longitudinal direction of the cable and is disposed along the conductors. Further, the conductor is preferably a transmission line that transmits signals or power.
In a second aspect according to the present invention, a cable for radiating heat includes conductors extending in the longitudinal direction of the cable, a heat conducting and radiating member covering the circumference of the conductors to conduct heat in the longitudinal direction of the cable and to radiate the conducted heat, and a coating covering the circumference of the heat conducting and radiating member.
The cable according to the present invention connects the body of a wearable computer and a display device together and conducts heat generated by a CPU internally, to the exterior. Thus, the conducted heat is released externally from a cable surface to remove heat from the interior of the computer body.
Preferably, the heat conducting and radiating member includes a heat conducting sheet wound between signal lines and a coating of the cable that conducts, in the longitudinal direction of the cable, heat generated by the CPU in the computer body, to gradually radiate heat from the surface of the cable.
In addition, a heat sink according to the present invention includes a cable for radiating heat, and a heat connecting member for thermally connecting a heat generator to the cable capable of radiating heat.
A heat sink according to the present invention uses the cable described above in the first and second aspects of the invention to conduct heat generated by the CPU inside the computer body, to the exterior for the purpose of heat radiation.
The heat connecting member preferably includes a heat pipe for thermally connecting the CPU inside the wearable computer and the heat conducting and radiating member (e.g., the above heat conducting sheet) of the cable according to the present invention used as a cable for connection to a display device. The heat connecting member conducts heat generated by the CPU to the heat conducting sheet of the cable in order to radiate heat generated by the CPU to the exterior.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application 11-047643, filed Feb. 25, 1999, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.